Speaker John Boehner urged his freshman Members to post strong first-quarter fundraising numbers during a closed-door session Tuesday morning at GOP campaign headquarters.

The Ohio Republican told the 87-member freshman class that he expected their March 31 filings with the Federal Election Commission would be strong, telling Members that he would be monitoring their reports closely, said a GOP aide with knowledge of the meeting.

“I know you’re also being asked to raise funds for the dinner, but your campaign accounts in the first and second quarter go a long way in determining your opposition,” Boehner told Members, according to the aide.

During the meeting, GOP leaders also encouraged lawmakers to up their giving to the National Republican Congressional Committee before its annual fundraising dinner in March.

Members who have already fulfilled their requirements for the dinner were credited, including two freshmen, Reps. Todd Young (Ind.) and Ben Quayle (Ariz.), the aide said.

Foreign Affairs Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Fla.), Education and Workforce Chairman John Kline (Minn.) and Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton (Mich.) have been tapped to chair this year’s fundraising dinner, scheduled for March 30 at the National Building Museum.